Author: Rev. Lek Aik Wee

The counsel for edifying church service is to ensure that anyone speaking in a foreign language has an interpreter. It should be limited to at most three languages. I recall attending a meeting with English as the main language with a Mandarin translator interpreting after each sentence. And there is another at the back of the meeting hall interpreting the message into Bahasa Indonesian. It is true that the message of the main speaker was slowed down by the Mandarin translation for the sake of the Chinese speaking folks. Also, the third interpreter could be heard also, there was some degree of distraction for those listening message in English. However, for the sake of others, it did not bother those present.

The guilding principle for the exercise spiritual gifts is that it seeks to build up the body. It must be out of love. Therefore, in the sharing of a psalm, in the propounding of a doctrine, in the speaking of a foreign language, a prophetic message, in the interpretation of God’s Word, the body of God’s people is strenghtened.

The church in Corinth has an undue focus on those who speak in foreign languages so that the focus was on the display of the gift of speaking in foreign languages. When the Word of God and Christ is not the centre and focus in the church, such skewing would be costly to the spiritual well-being of the church especially when there are newcomers and unbelievers coming to the church.

The Apostle Paul exhorts the believers to move toward spiritual maturity. He uses the metaphor of “children” to motivate and provoke them to grow up quickly in this matter. Have a correct focus on the imbibing and understanding of God’s Word for their spiritual advancement. He observed the skewing toward the spectacular sign-gift of speaking in a foreign language is not useful to the strengthening of the assembly of God’s people.

The English Reformer William Tyndale resolved when he said to a clergyman, “… I will cause the boy that driveth the plow to know more of the Scriptures than thou dost!” In his lifetime, he translated the Bible into the language of the English people, so that the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ and eternal life in heaven is made known to his people even after his death by execution.